Molecular Ecology and Evolution Research at UNBC

The research conducted in my lab includes studies on the molecular ecology (conservation genetics), molecular evolution (immunogenetics), and population genetics/genomics of wildlife species.

As part of the Mountain Pine Beetle System Genomics TRIA project, current work involves studies on the spatial distribution of genetic/genomic variation in mountain pine beetle across North America to address questions on the origins of outbreaks, population structure and adaptation.

Collaborative work is also being undertaken with

Chris Johnson and Melissa Todd on Landscape Ecology of Coastal Tailed Frogs and assesing the use of eDNA as quantitative tool for abudance,

Ken Otter on genetic techniques to map migration routes of song birds in Western Canada, and

Kathy Lewis on the spatial genetics of forest pathogens.

Academic History:

B.Sc. – Genetics, University of Alberta

M.Sc.- Zoology, University of Alberta, “The use of cytochrome b sequence variation to assess genetic difference between species and subspecies of Vireo (Aves)”. Co-supervisors: Curtis Strobeck and W. Bruce McGillivray

Ph.D. – Biology, McMaster University , “Major histocompatibility complex (Mhc) class II sequence variation in cetaceans: DQB and DRB variation in beluga(Delphinapterus leucas) and DQB variation in North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis)”. Supervisor: Bradley N. White.

Post-Doctoral Fellowships

Max-Planck Institute for Biology, Department of Immunogenetics

University of Guelph, Department of Zoology

Adjunct Professor

Zhejiang University, PRC (2002-2005)